Reddit reviews First Contract

I recommend the book First Contract by Greg Costikyan. Earth quickly becomes a third-world manufacturer, and has to reinvent itself.

I just found out that Costikyan is also the co-creator of the RPG Toon.

Found it! First Contract by Greg Costikyan

Now I may have to read it. :-)

A few that are all very different that I enjoyed:

David Brin's Uplift series is brilliant. It's set shortly after humanity has been discovered by a galactic civilization. Because of the fact that we self-uplifted (the only known instance) we are not accepted by a large portion of the civilization. If you haven't read the series yet, read Wikipedias description.

The Retrieval Artist series by Kristine Kathryn Rusch looks at the impacts of inter-species law, diplomacy and treaties on individuals and families from the perspective of an policeman/investigator.

Fine Prey by Scott Westerfeld is a follows the changes of the world after an alien takeover through the eyes of a top student who is enrolled in the school run by the aliens. Don't read any more than what I linked to you, since there are several surprises that are given away in almost every singe review.

First Contract by Greg Costikyan is about an entrepreneur trying to make it during the upheaval from the arrival of highly advanced aliens.

Grand Central Arena by Ryk E. Spoor is modern pulp about humanities first FTL flight taking them right into the center of interstellar trade (sort of... to say more would give a lot away).

Alan Dean Foster has done several that I really enjoyed:

With Friends Like These is a great short story about first (kinda) contact from the alien perspective.

The Damned trilogy is about humans being recruited into an interstellar war because we are the only species with a fight or flight reflex and thus the best warriors of all the known races.

The Taken trilogy is about a man and a dog that are captured by aliens for an alien zoo.